Three years worth of lift

I was reading the "bookie" thread on fsu, where it was mentioned how it's fine if Virtue Moir take a GOE hit when something isn't executed perfectly, but other teams shouldn't get a pass. GOE should be applied fairly and it's not. DW get a bye.

And this was used as an example:

Just glorious.

Some might argue this is the preparation to the lift, not the lift. I would say that's the lift, that's the entrance. It's integral to how they get in. Once the drag is on, they're in the entrance. His dragging her past him and swinging her up creates her motion in space that is arrested when he turns himself under her facing the opposite direction.

And look at Charlie. Look at Meryl. On what planet is that proper form for anything? Her ass is practically on the ice; she's in a shoot the duck "pose" but not a real shoot the duck since obviously he's holding her up. Also her free leg is angled to the outside and her blade knee is angled the other way, so it's not even a shoot the duck pose. She'd be flat on her ass/back without him (even minus the fact that he's dragging, if you slowed them to a standstill she couldn't hold herself aligned like that) and he's just standing there like he's just dumped something on the ground.*

We can't run around being "Oh, that's not the element!" when it's how they enter the element, and then be all "oh it is the element!" when they approximate musical style by flinging an arm in the air after they're done with the twizzles (done with the element) and receive character of the music GOE because - close enough.

So let's back up and look at this beauty, since it's the flashy highlight of their free dance - three years in the making:

This is the part I mentioned last time - despite the counter movement
entrance, he has to kind of get his shoulder under to nudge 
her into position. The counter-movement by itself doesn't get
her into position - they get a little stuck. It's just a small instant.
They plan for it though. They've incorporated the stuck part.
Is that okay then? They're alright with it, they've decided it's a thing,
so the judges go along?

All that so she can be belly flopped on his upper right
shoulder with her legs totally splayed behind her.
Where's the "add on execution points!" value in a belly
flop. People can do that with inaminate objects.
Try it. Swing something up using counter movement
so it plops face down on your back with its legs
hanging any way they please. You can do it
Use a stuffed animal or something. This part of
the lift can be done with just the lifter; the liftee doesn't
even have to be alive. So GOE the fuck out of it.
Naturally. Welcome to ice dance in the era of
Davis & White. 

.

This must be one of those ways they're raising the standard. Who the fuck cares what legs look like in transition? What does it matter? Why bother?

As always, Charlie has to get her leg position for her.

What would happen if he let go of her leg - would her hip joints make it spring back up and flip her head over heels onto the ice the other way?

Again, who cares. It's a transition. So what! GOE it! (Look at Charlie now giving her butt a little shove to help her along. Seriously with her.)

She's gonna brace her knee against his thigh and

Two armed grip. You realize nothing about Meryl here is balanced or carried. She's not on a balance point. She's literally being held up in a brace.

My favorite part is how she keeps that Persian arm going. Never mind anything else. That arm is waving from the rubble like a white flag. That's where the GOE rests.

There's the arm. You'd think this was an arm contest - like she's holding something in her hand the way you do at fairs and stuff - don't drop the egg off the spoon!  Don't drop the baton! Or some other sport. Fumble recovery! I have the ball!

 Can't wait, Eurosport boys. Tell us how spectacular this is.
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*Their fans keep saying Meryl's light and airy but the way Charlie's shoulders slump and he braces himself, his body says she weights a ton.